Cancer Journey

Children dealing with Cancer?

In 2024, I took a sabbatical from my career to battle breast cancer while on my postpartum journey. I underwent chemotherapy and numerous surgeries and was faced with my own mortality. I spent most of my time deep in thought, contemplating life, and discovering what matters most to me. I have been taken to bare bones; to my core mentally, spiritually, physically, and financially. The renewal of life brought death to my old self, relationships, and world views. It changed me and my approach in working with others. I used meditation, yoga, sandtray, and my clinical knowledge around trauma to my benefit, but I learned the most from living through the experience and from others along my journey.

I remember the first question my husband asked after I got my diagnosis was "are we going to tell the kids, and if so, how?" I watched my children process the trauma of their mother having cancer and the possibility of me dying. All the "what ifs". I can remember so many tough conversations with them as the journey unfolded. They cried the day I got to tell them "I'm Cancer FREE". Play therapy is EXTREMELY helpful in processing tough emotions, situations and trauma. You can see from the sandtray above how messy it can feel. 

I am a Registered Play Therapist offering Play Therapy in-person in Rifle, CO and virtually in CO. Reach out today to start a conversation about Play Therapy ♡